Knight outposts: the piece that can't be chased away

The square no pawn can reach

Pawns only move forward, and they capture diagonally forward. A square your opponent's pawns have already passed, or that has no pawns on the files next to it, can never be attacked by them again. Such a square is called an outpost. A piece there can be traded off, but never chased away.

The knight suits it best. It doesn't reach far and needs to stand close to the action, and on an outpost it can stay for many moves. One of the most famous examples is from the 1985 World Championship.

Garry Kasparov put his knight on d3 on move sixteen, and it stayed there for eighteen moves. The square was an outpost because White's c- and e-pawns had already been traded. No white pawn could ever reach it.

The knight paralyzes

A knight on d3 takes squares from White's rooks and queen, and it attacks b2, f2, c1 and e1. Three moves later Kasparov had reached the position he had aimed for in his home preparation. He wrote that the bishop on f5 and the knight on d3 together completely paralyzed White's three heavy pieces.

Just as important as the knight itself is that the opponent doesn't get rid of it. Karpov's knights stood on a4 and b1, far from d3. Six moves later Karpov attacked the pawn on b4, which kept them away from c3.

The knight stayed on d3 until move thirty-four. Then Karpov took it, but it cost him his queen. The whole game is among the famous games.

How to create an outpost

• Lure the pawns forward. Every pawn that goes past a square leaves it. An attack that forces a pawn move can give you an outpost for the rest of the game.
• Trade off the defender. Pawns aren't the only ones that can challenge a knight. Trade off the opponent's knights and bishops that can reach the square, and your piece stays.
• Protect it with a pawn. Then it can only be traded for a piece, never taken for free.
• Find the route. A knight often needs two or three moves to get there. Plan the route before you need the square.

The outpost has to matter

An outpost is only worth something if the piece on it affects the game. At AVRO 1938, José Raúl Capablanca put his knight on b3, a fine outpost protected by the pawn on c4. But the fight came on the other side of the board.

The knight on b3 was safe, but it couldn't help when White's center pawns marched toward the king. Mikhail Botvinnik won with a combination you can try on the page about good and bad bishops. The whole game is among the famous games.

Against a knight on an outpost

• Prevent it. The best defense is not to give the square away. Think before every pawn move: which squares can this pawn never protect again?
• Trade it off. A minor piece for the knight is often a good trade, especially if your piece was struggling to find a good square anyway.
• Attack the pawn that protects it. Without a pawn to protect it, the knight becomes a target.

Common mistakes

• A knight on an outpost far from the action. The square is fine, but the piece does nothing.
• One pawn move too many. A move that leaves a backward pawn often creates your opponent's best square.
• Trading the wrong piece. The minor piece that could have been traded for the knight is worth keeping.

Remember

• An outpost is a square your opponent's pawns can never attack.
• The knight likes it best there, ideally deep in and protected by a pawn.
• Keep the opponent's pieces away from the squares where they could challenge it.
• The outpost should be where the fight is.

Updated November 14, 2026